Current 35 mm motion picture film prints employ both analog and digital sound recording formats to produce sound for playback with the display of the picture. Soundtrack information is stored on the film print using multiple methods. The first technique places the soundtrack information onto the film along with the picture. The film is then optically scanned with the appropriate pickup device to reproduce the audio soundtrack. This technique is used for both analog and digital soundtracks. In another technique, a digital time code track is printed onto the film to associate the display of the picture with playback of digital audio data stored on a large capacity storage device, such as a compact disc.
The process of creating film release prints for distribution to theaters begins with the creation of the master picture and soundtrack negatives. One picture negative and sound negative set can be used to make several thousand release prints.
Before release prints are made a single “answer” print or “check” print is created to review picture and sound quality. If the quality of the check print is determined to be acceptable, then multiple prints are made for distribution. Otherwise, any problems identified in the check print or master negatives will be addressed and another check print will be created, until all problems are corrected. It is extremely important that any quality issues be determined and resolved with the check print before distribution prints are made. Significant cost savings are achieved by eliminating defective distribution prints.
One important aspect of the quality check is the synchronization of the soundtrack and the picture. Specifically, the soundtrack must be synchronized to the visual images in the motion picture. Other aspects of the sound quality review include the detection of sudden decreases in sound volume (“drop outs”), hisses, scratches, or other unwanted artifacts. These defects, if not corrected, will be duplicated in the distribution prints sent to theaters.
Currently, the inspection of each check print requires a reviewer to view the motion picture from beginning to end in order to detect quality issues during playback. However, as the reviewer can only listen to one complete soundtrack during each playback, the reviewer must watch and listen to the check print as many times as there are audio soundtracks on the film. Thus, a two-hour film with four soundtracks takes at least eight hours to review. In addition, the playback must be done in front of a screen that provides the reviewer a large enough display of the motion picture to see and hear details such as lip movement and other actions, e.g., explosions, that require synchronization with the soundtrack. Thus, rooms as large as typical movie theaters are commonly used.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the issues noted above.